Ace's Story
by Lee Aemilius
Summary: Ace - the girl seen as evil and something to fear. This is her story. A story involving someone who rescued her even when it appeared pointless. No Pairings. Spoiler Warning for Wild Cards & Epilogue during and after both episodes. New chapter  2  up!
1. Ace

**A/N:** Ok, this is my first Justice League story. This is based on the cartoon TV show, but their is no Justice League cartoon on here so I am sticking it here. :)

*SPOILER ALERT* Takes place during and after Wild Cards (Justice League) and the Epilogue (Justice League Unlimited)

Anyway - there is a surprising lack of stories with Ace. This is basically a piece on Ace's thoughts as she goes through what happens to her in Wild Cards (Justice League) and the Epilogue (Justice League Unlimited). I'm sure this has been thought of and done by different writers - well this is my version. I'm sorry if I took something that originally you thought of.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything - not even sure about the plot... Hm...

**A/N 2:** _Italics_ - If it is just one or two words in a sentence, the purpose is emphasis. If it is a whole passage - it means I took it straight from the episodes. There are a few thing I added though - if it reads like thoughts then I probably added it. The point where it is italicized and suddenly stops - I added it.

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><p><strong><span>Ace's Story - Ace's Point of View<span>**

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><p>My name is Ace. I was born with a power that I couldn't control. I accidentally sent my parents into a catatonic state before I could even say Mom and Dad. It's not my fault. Then <em>Cadmus<em> took me from my home. I didn't want to go. I cried, kicked, and screamed. _They_ put a headband on me to control my powers. _They_ said they were going to teach me and help me control my powers. _They_ lied. _They_ just wanted to use me. Use my powers – turn me into a weapon. _They_ didn't care about me. _They_ didn't care about us. There were five of us. We didn't have names, just numbers. The Joker came and released us. The other four were all extremely happy with their new found "freedom," but I knew. Knew that the Joker was just using us too. I didn't bother resisting – he wouldn't use that headband. He told me he'd gotten rid of it. Because of the Joker, Queen is dead. We were a family. Maybe we were a family that was a bit strange and being held by the "government." But we grew up together, learned together, lived together. Joker tore us apart, and I was working for him. The last straw was when Batman took that headband from Joker's jacket. He said he had gotten rid of it – I shouldn't have trusted him. I sent him into a catatonic state and released my hold on Batman. He wasn't my enemy – he may have just been trying to save the world, but he didn't try to control me.

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><p><em><strong>*Flashback*<strong>_

_**Batman was putting up a vicious fight against my powers, but he kept fighting. He was strong; I was about to raise the level of my power when Batman grabbed something out of Joker's jacket. It was that headband! He kept it. He was using me too. I was angry; I got up and walked toward him. He began babbling – nothing he said could have saved him now. I drove him into a catatonic state.**_

'_**You deserve what you got.'**_

_**Turning, I began walking toward the back door when a grunt stopped me.**_

_** "Where… Are you gonna… Go?"**_

_** 'I don't know, somewhere, anywhere,' I thought then said, "Nowhere."**_

_** I continued walking and left behind the people who had used me.**_

_***End Flashback***_

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><p>After the Joker fiasco, I began wandering around and staying hidden. No one liked me; they had all seen what I did. Before long, <em>Cadmus<em> captured me, again. _They_ wanted to finish using me. Finish training me. Finish making _their_ weapon.

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><p>I escaped once again. I gave people powers, so I would have someone to play with. Once they had their powers they left me. I built a fort – a castle of sorts surrounded by a thick, unbreakable forest of thorn bushes. I hid inside – from here I began altering reality. My new Royal Flush Gang was fighting some Justice League members outside. They were defeated – 'serves them right'. Then the Mrs. Waller came; she had a weapon – something to kill me. Batman took it and walked up to my forest. I opened it and as soon as he had entered, I closed it behind him. He wasn't going to use that weapon on me. He knew what it was like.<p>

_Batman continued walking down the path and stopped when he saw me swinging._

_ "Batman," I said. I wasn't scared._

_ "Ace," he replied just as blandly as I had._

_ "Did you like playing with my new Royal Flush Gang?"_

_ "Can't say that I did."_

_ "Yeah, they aren't any fun. I gave them their powers, and they still hardly ever play with me."_

_ "Can't imagine why."_

_ "When I was little, Cadmus used to make me play all kind of games, but they weren't any fun either. They strap me into their chair and poke wires into my brain. ' Ace can you move this object with your mind?'"_

_ A nearby tree was uprooted and thrown up into the clouds; Batman watched it disappear._

_ "Yeah, I can move it. They weren't really games you know," I said as I stopped swinging, "They were training me. Turning me into a weapon. 'For justice,' they said. They got their weapon. I got cheated out of my childhood."_

_ "I know what that's like," he said, once I paused._

_ I looked at him._

_ "You do, don't you."_

_ He stood there, not saying anything. He didn't need to._

_ "You don't have to answer. I read your mind, that's how I knew you weren't going to use Mrs. Waller's weapon on me."_

_ "No, I wasn't," he said as he took the weapon out of his utility belt and tossed it behind him._

_ "You were going to try to talk me into fixing what I've changed – before I die."_

_ My shoulders sagged as I said that last phrase._

_ "Yes."_

_ "I'm dying very soon," I stated._

_ It was a statement, but he replied as if it was a question – it might have been._

_ "Yes, I'm sorry."_

_ I shrugged. I wasn't scared. I was disappointed maybe. I missed out on life just because Cadmus wanted their weapon. It was somehow their fault. I might have been able to live if they hadn't forced the power out of me… No – I was scared. Tears began forming in my eyes – I looked at him._

_ "Will you stay with me? ... I'm scared."_

_ I didn't expect him to stay. Who would want to stay with a girl who had could kill you with just a thought – a girl who almost sent him into a state of comatose or insanity. He surprised me – he sat down on the swing next to me. I wiped my nose on the back of my sleeve. The next thing he did surprised me even more – he held out his hand. I took it, a bit hesitantly._

I smiled at him and I saw a ghost of a smile on his face. It looked a bit odd – seeing Batman sitting on a swing. I was content, though. Someone was going to be with me until my dying breath. I could feel my body becoming heavy and my breathing became difficult. I started falling out of my swing – I didn't have enough strength to stop myself. Then I felt a pair of strong arms stop me. I looked up. Batman was going to stay with me until the end – feeling peaceful; I returned the world around me back to normal.

"Thank you, Batman. Thank you for setting me free…"

Before I slipped into unconsciousness, I gave him a hug. The last thing I felt before my spirit left my body was being picked up.

"Goodbye, Ace. I'm sorry."

And with a smile on my face, my spirit left my body.

Batman got up carrying Ace's body, and before the last of Ace's creation disappeared he looked at the swing set. Ace's swing was moving back and forth, and Batman thought he could hear the spirit of the girl laughing – laughing for the first time in her life. Then Ace's world disappeared.

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><p><strong>AN:** Well there you have it. I am working on another part that I will add as a chapter eventually maybe. It will be the same story just from Batman's POV. Let me know what you think. As always - reviews, comments, praise, and critiques. If you really want to flame me - go ahead, but at least have the guts to do it as a signed review. I won't snap back. I'll even send a thank you for it. Plus - be creative when flaming. It makes life so much more interesting. Thanks for reading! Do leave a review please - it's good for the writers ego. :)


	2. Batman

**A/N:** Okay! So here is the second chapter from Bats POV! I finally worked on it and got it done. It's the same story, different point of view and thoughts and a bit of an extended ending. Hope you like it!

As for the rest of the my A/N, it's pretty much the same as my first chapter.

_***SPOILER ALERT***_ Takes place during and after Wild Cards (Justice League) and the Epilogue (Justice League Unlimited)

**Disclaimer: **Seriously, I don't own it... Kinda makes me sad.

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><p><strong><span>Ace's Story - Batman's Point of View<span>**

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><p>Her name is Ace. She was born with an extreme and incredible power that she couldn't control, so she was taken by <em>Cadmus<em>. Just like Ace, I lost everything. Not to some government agency, but to some **punk with a gun**. _They_ used a headband that would control her. _They_ took everything from her. _They_ took her childhood from her. **He** took my childhood from me. _They_ took her family from her. **He** took my family from me. _They_ took her life from her. **He** took the life I would have had.

Then the Joker came along and released them. He offered them "freedom", in truth he was really making them henchmen. One controller gone in place of another, nothing ever changed. In time, I came to face her. I'm not the enemy – I'm just trying to save the world and maybe even her.

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><p><em><strong>*Flashback*<strong>_

_**Ace's power was stronger than I realized. I was fighting against the illusions she was creating as best as I could, but it was getting harder and harder. Joker was giving me a pretty good beating. Hit after hit, I was losing – both my grip on reality and the fight against Joker. In my delirium, I saw a headband – one that looked like it was used for telepathic suppression. I grabbed it hoping it would somehow help. Suddenly my head was clearing, and my vision became more focused. When I finally was able to concentrate, I saw Joker in a catatonic state, and Ace was walking away. Putting the pieces together I wanted to know one thing. I grunted, and Ace stopped.**_

_** "Where… Are you gonna… Go?"**_

_** Turning she said, "Nowhere."**_

_** With that she turned and walked out.**_

_** 'Be safe,' I thought before blacking out.**_

_***End Flashback***_

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><p>After the Joker fiasco, I tried finding Ace, but she just seemed to have vanished into thin air. I managed to catch a few things about her. All I know is that <em>Cadmus<em> captured her. There would be only one reason to recapture her – continue her training, continue making her into the perfect weapon, and continue using her.

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><p>She was bound to escape, and she did. Small groups of people began gaining superpowers, and reality seemed to be altering. I knew we'd have to come face-to-face eventually. It all came down to the final battle in the park. After defeating the new Royal Flush Gang, Amanda Waller arrived on the scene. She wanted to kill Ace to save the world. I knew better – I knew that in order to save the world, we first needed to save Ace. I took the weapon. I could play along, but I would never use it. How could anyone kill a child? I walked up to the forest, and it magically parted. Ace was letting me in, but only me. I knew as soon as I stepped past part of the forest, it would close right behind me. It did, but it didn't matter. Ace wasn't going to hurt me nor I her.<p>

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><p><em>I continued walking down the path and stopped when I saw her swinging.<em>

_ "Batman," She said in a monotone._

_ "Ace," I replied just as blandly as she had._

_ "Did you like playing with my new Royal Flush Gang?"_

_ "Can't say that I did," I said thinking of some of the more sore spots I was going to have the next morning._

_ "Yeah, they aren't any fun. I gave them their powers, and they still hardly ever play with me," she said sounding hurt._

_ "Can't imagine why," I probably sounded slightly sarcastic, but Ace either didn't notice or care._

_ "When I was little, Cadmus used to make me play all kind of games, but they weren't any fun either. They strap me into their chair and poke wires into my brain. ' Ace can you move this object with your mind?'"_

_She sounded really aggravated. She needed to talk though, so I didn't interrupt. I understood the need. A nearby tree was uprooted and thrown up into the clouds; I watched it disappear._

_ "Yeah, I can move it. They weren't really game you know," she said as she stopped swinging, "They were training me. Turning me into a weapon. 'For justice,' they said. They got their weapon. I got cheated out of my childhood."_

_ "I know what that's like," I said once she paused._

_ She looked at me. I almost smiled at her, but I didn't._

_ "You do, don't you."_

_ I didn't say anything. I knew she had read my mind._

_ "You don't have to answer. I read your mind, that's how I knew you weren't going to use Mrs. Waller's weapon on me."_

_ "No, I wasn't," I said as I took the weapon out of my utility belt and tossed it behind me._

_ "You were going to try to talk me into fixing what I've changed – before I die."_

_ Her shoulders sagged as she spoke the last phrase. My heart went out for her._

_ "Yes," I said._

_There was no point denying it. She knew the truth, and denying it would only make things worse. She had been lied to enough - now it was time for a change of pace.  
><em>

_ "I'm dyeing very soon," she stated barely audible._

_ It was a statement, but I felt the need to say something._

_ "Yes, I'm sorry."_

_ She shrugged, but deep down I knew she was most likely scared. It was all because of Cadmus. Cadmus ruined her life. Tears started forming in her eyes. I didn't know what to do. I was never good with kids, even when I was one. My childhood was taken from me, so I don't know what kids think._

_ "Will you stay with me? I'm scared."_

_ She was scared. Scared of what, I'm not sure, but I knew that she needed someone to be with her. Everything she could do to me before and when she died didn't matter to me anymore. She never got the chance – at a family, at a childhood, at a life of her own. I needed to stay. She needed it. Surprisingly enough, I realized I needed it too. I sat down on the swing next to. She seemed to relax just a bit. She wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve. Even though she seemed to be a little bit more relaxed, I knew I needed to comfort her somehow, but I've never been good at this sort of thing. Then something came to me. I held my hand out to Ace. She looked at me and took it hesitantly._

She smiled at me, and I almost smiled back. I imagined – it would probably be amusing to see Batman sitting on a child's swing. All in all, the only thing that mattered was that I was going to make her death as comfortable as possible. I was going to be with her until her dying breath. I watched her carefully when she started falling backwards. Her death was coming closer and closer. I reached out and caught her. _With her until the end._ She was visibly peaceful. As the end drew nearer, the world around us returned to normal. It was almost sad.

"Thank you, Batman. Thank you for setting me free…"

Her breathing became labored. Slower and slower, shallower and shallower. She hugged me, and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I lifted her up and felt her go limp. A few tears slipped down my face.

"Goodbye, Ace. I'm sorry."

'I wish I could have done more for you,' I thought.

I got up carrying Ace's body, and before the last of Ace's creation disappeared I looked back at the swing set. Ace's swing was moving back and forth, and I thought I could hear the spirit of the Ace laughing – laughing for the first time and the last time in her life.

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><p><strong>*Several Years Later*<strong>

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><p>After a long day at work, I arrived at the Wayne Mansion with a special surprise of sorts.<p>

"Master Bruce, what do you have there?"

Alfred asked knowing what it was, just not believing that Master Bruce would have actually gotten one.

"It's a dog. Dick always said that he wanted one," I replied nonchalantly.

"How interesting. What do you plan on naming him?"

"Ace, his name will be Ace."

"After the girl?"

"Yes," I said aloud then thought, 'After a girl who didn't deserve the cards she was dealt - a girl who changed my life.'

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><p><strong>AN:** Okay... So that was kind of a bittersweet ending, but the whole plot/idea is a bittersweet one. Anyway - there you have it the same story, but from Batman's POV with a bit of an extended ending of sorts. As always - reviews, comments, praise, and critiques. If you really want to flame me - go ahead, but at least have the guts to do it as a signed review. I won't snap back. I'll even send a thank you for it. Plus - be creative when flaming. It makes life so much more interesting. Thanks for reading! Do leave a review please - it's good for the writers ego. :) Plus, I really do want to know what you think!


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